lifeisgood
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Cable termination and repair services for a reasonable fee. Whatsapp Larry at 98805223.
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1st MO: L Cao Audio DA200 DSD Tube DAC / Amp 240V
« on: March 25th, 2017, 8:43am »
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I am conducting the 1st mass order for L Cao Audio DA200 DSD tube digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and headphone amplifier 240 volts for local use. Chinese domestic model from Taobao is rated for 220 volts, thus will run hot and shorten lifespan of tube and components when used locally. DA200 is based on ESS Sabre32 Reference ES9018S digital-to-analog converter chipset. It supports up to DSD 256 (native mode), PCM 384 Khz (16, 24, 32-bit) via USB and PCM 192K (24-bit) via coaxial or BNC inputs.
I have the prototype DA200 (without the USB receiver) for close to 4 months (since Jan 2017) and I must say it changes my perception of ESS Sabre32-based DAC. Many audiophiles will agree that Sabre-based DACs and players often sound analytical, cold, sterile and artificial - the so-called "digital" sound. I have auditioned several Sabre-based DACs and players in past (such as Gustard X20, Yulong DA8, Benchmark DAC2 HGC, Audiolab M-DAC, Oppo BDP-105D, etc). Similarly, I was never in favor of the way this DAC chip was implemented in these equipment.
Prejudice-aside... L Cao DA200 IS VERY DIFFERENT! How different you may ask? It sounds closer to a Non-Oversampling (NOS) DAC. If you are old enough to remember the classic Philips TDA1541A S2 Double Crown, or the Burr Brown PCM63P-K. I used to own quite a few of these NOS DACs and they were some of the most musical-sounding converters I ever heard. L Cao DA200 follows this tradition. Its sound signature is detailed yet unfatiguing. Midrange is rich yet textured. Vocal is full-bodied, lush and vivid. Bass is fast, tight and rhythmic. Treble is extended, transparent and layered. The DA200 projects a soundstage that is extremely wide and deep. Overall presentation is balanced yet vibrant, refined yet musical. Listened to Mario Suzuki's Masterpiece Of Folklore (Master Music MM-8640946, JVC XRCD24), the finger plucking and the vibration of the Spanish guitar could be heard and felt. Every strum of the classical instrument was so emotion-rich and affectionate that it evoked feelings, arouse senses that penetrated deep into the listener's heart. This is what I called "tugging the heartstrings"... A truly beautiful-sounding DAC.
The DA200's tonal balance and portrayal of instrumental textures was unusual. The treble was perhaps the smoothest and most natural I have heard from digital replay. The high-frequency hash, glare, and steely hardness that often characterized as the "Sabre-sound" were notably absent. Instead, the treble was velvety smooth, gentle, and soft, yet rich in detail. The entire high-frequency presentation seemed to take a step back, with a warmth and lushness that invited the listener into the music. There was a palpable feeling of relaxation and ease when listening to the DA200 - like good analog.
I have saved the DA200's best characteristics for last: There was superb resolution of natural timbres, and the ability to distinguish between similar-sounding instruments. Some DACs have a synthetic character that tends to homogenize and blur the subtle textural distinctions between instruments. The DAC resolved the finely woven fabric of instrumental textures and allowed the natural character to emerge. Solo instruments benefited from this quality: Acoustic bass sounded more like acoustic bass, sax sounded more like a sax. This impression held true for virtually every instrument. The bass had more "bassness" and the vocal was more complexly textured and filled with nuance. This surprising sense of realism held for every recording I listened to. This was perhaps a primary reason why I enjoyed the DA200 so much: The music was natural and right, not sterile and mechanical.
L Cao DA200 features:
- ESS Sabre32 Reference ES9018S DAC chipset
- Cirrus Logic CS8416 (SPDIF) and Amanero USB IIS input receivers
- TI / Burr Brown OPA2604 opamp (replaceable)
- Russian military-grade OTK 6J1B-V HF pentode long-life output buffer tube (replaceable)
- Furukawa Electric 99.99% pure silver internal wires
- Ultra low-noise R-core shielded power transformer
- Low-noise DC voltage regulator stage with short circuit and thermal overheat protection
- 3 sets of digital filter - PCM Roll-off Slow, PCM Roll-off Sharp and Normal (selectable)
- High-gain headphone amplifier with power for hard-to-drive high-impedance headphones (up to 600 ohms)
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About L Cao Audio
Many audiophiles may probably have heard or experienced L Cao Audio products before. Yes, it is the same company that manufactures the well-known magnetic field-coil fullrange loudspeaker drivers. L Cao Audio is one of the pioneers in Chinese hifi industry. The company was established in 1998. Following the trend of Western Electric and Lowther, they manufactured China's first magnetic field-coil loudspeaker drivers in 2009. It received many good reviews from foreign media. L Cao Audio also produces a complete range of direct-heated tube amps which are gaining popularity among tube-loving audiophiles in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan.
L Cao Audio is very, very small company with only 3 full-time employees (all of them electronics graduates). Every DAC is make to order and hand-assemble by either of the staff. It normally takes a few days to assemble, run-in and test each DAC. Please be very patient with your order.
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Price is SGD 480 per unit, includes Singapore islandwide delivery.
Closing date is this coming Sunday, 26th March 2017 at 9pm. All payments must be received by then.
I accept payment prior to ordering via POSB/DBS/UOB/OCBC ATM transfer, Internet Banking transfer or DBS PayLah!/OCBC Pay Anyone. Interested buyers please SMS/WhatsApp to me at 98805223. (Please provide your name. Do not call or SMS after 11pm and before 7am)
Item is strictly sold through mass order ONLY. I do not have overstock.
It takes approximately 4 to 6 weeks from order to collection of goods.
[Read these before you order]
For delivery, I will need your full name, address, secondary phone number and preferred delivery time.
Warranty is NOT offered to units sold outside China but I will try my best to assure that all units are in working condition before delivery. Owner pays shipping cost if unit needs factory servicing.
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Specifications:
DAC section
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20KHz (±0.1dB) @ 0dBFS
Signal-to-noise ratio: >105dB (A-Weighted)
THD+N: <0.00035% 20Hz-22KHz @ 1Vrms
Crosstalk: -130dB @ 1KHz
Number of channels: 2
Channel separation: >75dB @ 1KHz
Maximum line-out level: 2.3Vrms @ 1KHz, THD ≥0.15% (fixed)
Output impedance: 100K ohms
Headphone section
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20KHz (±0.1dB) @ 0dBFS
Headphone impedance: 16 ohms - 600 ohms
Max headphone output power: 8.3W into 16 ohms, 4W into 32 ohms, 1.32W into 100 ohms, 0.5W into 300 ohms, 0.24W into 600 ohms
Headphone amplifier output impedance: 10 ohms
Headphone amplifier signal-to-noise ratio: >100dB (A-Weighted)
THD+N: <0.012%, 20Hz-22KHz @ 1Vrms
Channel separation: >70dB @ 1KHz
I/O section
Digital inputs: 1 x coaxial, 1 x BNC and 1 x USB 2.0 High Speed
Analog outputs: 1 x 6.35mm (1/4" TRS) stereo headphone jack and 2 x RCA line level sockets (fixed and variable)
Input format: Stereo PCM, Stereo DSD (DoP v1.1 or native)
DSD: Supports Native DSD 64 / 128 / 256
DSD sampling frequencies: 2.8224MHz (DSD64), 5.6448MHz (DSD12 , 11.2896MHz (DSD256)
PCM sampling frequencies: 384KHz @ 16, 24 or 32 bit
DSD over PCM: DoP 64 / DoP 128 / DoP 256
Coaxial and BNC (SPDIF) sampling frequencies: 44.1K, 48K, 88.2K, 96K, 176.4K, 192K (24 bit)
USB sampling frequencies: 44.1K, 48K, 88.2K, 96K, 176.4K, 192K (32 bit)
USB support: Windows XP, 7, 8, 10 (32 and 64 bit) and Mac OSX
Mains supply: 240V at 50Hz (Singapore edition)
Power consumption: 24W
Dimension: (W) 19.5cm x (H) 7.5cm x (D) 31cm
Weight: 2.7 kg (unit only), 3.5 kg (packed)
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[All photos and diagrams are used with permission from L Cao Audio]
Tested using AudioTools for iOS with iAudioInterface2
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